A Springfield Christmas Memory

I was talking with my friend Teresa yesterday, who serves a United Methodist Church in North Carolina as a Director of Communications.  We were discussing what it is like to work for a church this time of year, and I made the statement that your average church-goer has no idea the madhouse a church becomes during this season.  You think Black Friday is crazy for retailers?  That's a one day sprint.  Working at a church in December is a marathon.  It's nuts.  It's ridiculous.  And it's the most wonderful time of the year!  Every church I ever served had wonderful traditions for the Advent and Christmas seasons, even if some them did wear me out. Over the next few weeks I want to share some of those stories with you, and there is no better place to start than at Springfield Friends Meeting.  


Quakers don't actually do Advent in the traditional sense, but the preparations were much the same.  I have never seen a worship room that looked better when decorated for the Christmas season than the one at Springfield.  It was simply gorgeous every year.  In those days the first weekend of December was set aside for Friend Day, a major outreach event for the church.  It required a fair amount of planning, and it was tempting to breathe a sigh of relief when it was done.  But in fact, the runaway snowball that was Christmas at SFM was just beginning.  Over the following weeks every adult Sunday class would have a dinner party.  Every women's "Circle" would have a party.  People we never saw would throw parties.  And the Pastors (myself and Max Rees) and our wives were not merely invited.  We were EXPECTED to be at every party.  It was quite a marathon. We loved it.

And this was just one couch full or youth...

The party season usually ended for us when we would host the youth ministry Christmas party at our home.  Our home was beyond tiny, yet we would cram nearly 50 people in for an evening no one ever wanted to miss.  In the later years, after the first party would end a second party would break out for the youth group "alumni"- those who had graduated and were home for the holidays from college or wherever.  It was always one of my favorite nights of the year.


And then the season's grand finale came with the Christmas Eve candlelight service.  Springfield was not a large church, so there was one service at 7 PM.  I would put luminaries around the sidewalks and the parking lot.  There would be amazing special music. a homily from Max, and then the candle lighting.  The entire gathered group would circle the Meeting Room, united as the family of God in celebration of the birth of the Christ-child.  It was always the perfect finish to a wonderful month.  No matter where I am on Christmas Eve, I am aware of my Springfield family and the worship taking place in High Point, NC.


So there are the first of my memories I plan to share with you all.  I would love to hear your memories and traditions as well.  Thank you Jesus, for being the reason for this most wonderful time of the year!


Because of Jesus,